Products To Help Prevent Preharvest Drop In Apple Orchards
September 1, 2015 In the latest Extension bulletin from Penn State University, James Schupp associate professor of pomology suggests several products to apply that interfere with the enxymatic breakdown of the cell walls in the abscission zone.
“As apples mature, they begin to produce large amounts of the ripening hormone, ethylene. One of the ripening processes stimulated by ethylene is stem loosening,” Schupp writes. “Enzymatic cell wall breakdown is an irreversible process. Once the fruit stems loosen, there is no way to strengthen them up!”
There are three plant growth regulators registered to control preharvest drop in apples. These are Harvista, napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG).
“They are all effective, but they are very different compounds with respect to the modes of action, optimal timing, and effect on the fruit,” writes Schupp.
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